The war room at the safehouse was quieter than usual. Monitors displayed the fallout of their mission—arrests, raids, and breaking news reports from around the globe.Winter stood at the main console, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she coordinated the release of the evidence they’d extracted from Zhao’s fortress.“Another drop’s been sent,” she said, her voice steady.“Interpol, MI6, the FBI—everyone has what they need to dismantle the Syndicate.”James stood behind her, his arms crossed. His gaze was fixed on the monitors, watching as the Syndicate’s empire crumbled in real time.Kael leaned against the wall, a faint grin on his face. “They’re scrambling. Zhao’s empire is in shambles.”Emily stepped into the room, holding a steaming cup of coffee. She handed it to James, her expression soft. “You did it,” she said quietly.James shook his head. “We did it.”On one of the monitors, a news anchor reported live from a raid in Hong Kong.“Authorities have seized warehouses belie

Zhao sat calmly in his reinforced chair, his wrists bound with steel restraints. His suit was wrinkled and stained from the days he’d spent in custody, but his eyes burned with defiance as he looked at James across the table.James stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. “You’ve lost, Zhao. The Syndicate is crumbling. The world knows who you are, what you’ve done. It’s over.”Zhao smirked, leaning back against his chair as far as the restraints allowed. “Lost? You think locking me in a cage erases what I’ve built? My influence reaches far beyond these walls, Radcliffe. You’ve won a battle, not the war.”James’s eyes narrowed. “Then tell me about your loyalists. Who’s left? Where are they hiding?”Zhao laughed, the sound cold and sharp. “You really think I’d hand over my people? Even now, they’re working to rebuild. My Syndicate doesn’t die because you say it does.”In the adjacent room, Winter sat at a console, scanning through files pulled from Zhao’s private vault. T

The first explosion ripped through the quiet morning, sending debris raining down on the outer wall of the stronghold.The alarms blared almost instantly, red lights flashing across the compound as James and Kael sprinted toward the command center.“They’re hitting us hard,” Kael said, adjusting his rifle as they ran. “They didn’t waste any time.”“They want to overwhelm us,” James replied, his voice steady. “But they don’t know what we’re capable of.”Winter’s voice crackled through their earpieces. “Andre’s forces are coming from three directions: the north, east, and west. They’re heavily armed, and they’ve got tech we haven’t seen before. We’re deploying countermeasures, but the outer defenses won’t hold for long.”“Then we make our stand inside,” James said. “Get everyone ready.”The compound shook as another explosion rocked the north wall. Kael barked orders to a group of defenders, his voice cutting through the chaos.“Set up suppressing fire here! Cover the entrance and don’t

The dimly lit cell felt colder than usual as James entered, the door clanging shut behind him. Zhao sat calmly on the cot, his legs crossed, a faint smirk on his face. The bruises from his capture had faded, but his arrogance remained intact.“Ah, Radcliffe,” Zhao said, his tone light and mocking. “Come to gloat? Or are you here to entertain me with more empty threats?”James’s expression didn’t waver as he pulled a chair across the room, the sound scraping against the concrete floor. He sat down directly in front of Zhao, his gaze unflinching.“This isn’t a game, Zhao,” James said, his voice low and cold. “Andre’s making moves, and I know you’ve been in contact with him.”Zhao chuckled, leaning back against the wall. “Andre? Ambitious, isn’t he? But unpredictable. He doesn’t listen like I did.”James slammed his hand on the table, the sound reverberating through the small space. “Enough with the theatrics. What’s his plan?”Zhao tilted his head, feigning innocence. “Even if I knew, w

The newsroom buzzed with activity as Andre’s broadcast played across every major network.He stood before a sleek backdrop bearing the Syndicate’s emblem, his posture confident and his voice smooth.“Citizens of the world,” Andre began, his tone dripping with authority, “James Radcliffe, the so-called ‘hero,’ has been lying to you. He is no savior. He is a destroyer. And I have proof.”The screen shifted to show doctored footage of James, his voice and face manipulated to make it seem like he was planning a devastating attack on Emily’s company headquarters.Andre’s voice returned, grim and commanding.“Tomorrow, this tower will burn, and it will be Radcliffe’s doing. But don’t worry—I will be there to rebuild from the ashes.”At the Radcliffe estate, James stood in front of the television, his fists clenched.The footage looped, showing his manipulated image over and over again.“Turn it off,” he said, his voice low but filled with fury.Kael, holding the remote, complied.“He’s good